Cloud infrastructure · Azure · Google Cloud · AWS · Huawei Cloud
Cloud infrastructure on Azure, Huawei Cloud, Google Cloud and AWS
We look at your workloads, your requirements and your budget, then recommend the provider and GCC region that fit, move you there and run it with you.
Not sure which cloud fits? Tell us your workload and country and a cloud architect will recommend a provider and region.
Pick a workload and a country to see where it usually fits.
Why businesses across the Middle East ask us to run their cloud
Microsoft Solutions Partner for Modern Work
The highest designation in the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program, and a Microsoft Gold partner since 2015.
Google Cloud Premier Partner
Google's top partner level, for Google Cloud and Google Workspace, with a large team of Google-certified engineers.
Since 2007
1,500+ active cloud customers across all Gulf Infotech services, and 350,000+ users migrated.
Three local offices
Dubai, Muscat (head office) and Doha. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain are served from Dubai.
Vendor-neutral advice
We work with Azure, Huawei Cloud, Google Cloud and AWS, and recommend the one that fits each workload.
Clouds we run
- Microsoft Azure
- Google Cloud
Workloads we move
- Windows Server, SQL Server, Active DirectoryBest fit: Microsoft Azure
- Data warehouse and BIBest fit: Google Cloud
- Generative AI apps
- Web apps, SaaS, startupsBest fit: AWS
- Virtual desktopsBest fit: Microsoft Azure
- Disaster recovery site for on-premise serversBest fit: Microsoft Azure
Cloud providers we work with
Gulf Infotech is a vendor-neutral cloud service provider for businesses in the Middle East. Since 2007 we have designed, migrated and managed workloads on Microsoft Azure, Huawei Cloud, Google Cloud and AWS, choosing the provider and in-region data centre that fits each workload. Our offices in Dubai, Muscat and Doha support customers across Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Microsoft Azure
Windows and SQL workloads, Azure Virtual Desktop, Site Recovery, and regions in Dubai and Doha.
Huawei Cloud
a public region in Riyadh and an upcoming Abu Dhabi (UAE) region, cost-sensitive compute and Huawei Cloud MaaS for AI models.
Google Cloud (GCP)
BigQuery analytics, Gemini on the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform, GKE, and regions in Doha and Dammam.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
the widest service catalogue, Bedrock for generative AI, and regions in the UAE and Bahrain.
Which cloud provider is best for which job?
No single provider wins every workload. This is where each one usually fits best for companies in the Middle East, as of October 2026.
Pick a cloud to see the jobs it does best, one use case at a time, with the services we use and where it runs in the GCC.
Windows and SQL workloads, Azure Virtual Desktop, Site Recovery, and regions in Dubai and Doha.
$ gi recommend --cloud azure --use-case "windows-server-sql-server-an"
Windows Server, SQL Server and Active Directory
Move Microsoft servers without paying for licences twice: Azure Hybrid Benefit reuses Windows Server and SQL Server licences that have Software Assurance, and Entra ID extends your Active Directory to the cloud.
Services we use
- Azure Virtual Machines
- Azure SQL Managed Instance
- Entra ID
Where it runs in the GCC
- UAE North (Dubai)
- Qatar Central (Doha)
Move Microsoft servers without paying for licences twice: Azure Hybrid Benefit reuses Windows Server and SQL Server licences that have Software Assurance, and Entra ID extends your Active Directory to the cloud.
Services we use: Azure Virtual Machines, Azure SQL Managed Instance, Entra ID
Windows 11 desktops that staff open from any device, with multi-session hosts to keep the cost per user down, managed with the Microsoft tools your IT team already uses.
Services we use: Azure Virtual Desktop, FSLogix, Intune
A standby copy of your on-premise servers in a GCC region that runs only when you need it, with failover tested before you rely on it.
Services we use: Azure Site Recovery, Azure Backup
Assistants and agents built on OpenAI and other models, connected to data you already keep in Azure and Microsoft 365, under the same Entra ID sign-in.
Services we use: Microsoft Foundry, Azure OpenAI, Azure AI Search
Takeaway: start from where your data must live and what your team already runs, then pick the provider. Using two providers for different jobs is normal.
Which cloud providers have data centres in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman?
In-country cloud regions in the GCC, checked against each provider's official region list in October 2026:
- Live
- Announced / to confirm
- No region
| Country | Microsoft Azure | Google Cloud | AWS | Huawei Cloud |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | Live: UAE North (Dubai, 3 zones); UAE Central (Abu Dhabi, restricted access for DR) | No region: None | Live: Middle East (UAE) me-central-1, 3 zones | Live: Abu Dhabi, live |
| Saudi Arabia | Announced / to confirm: Saudi Arabia East (Eastern Province), announced for November 2026 | Live: Dammam me-central2, 3 zones | Announced / to confirm: Saudi region announced for December 2026 | Live: Riyadh, 3 zones, live since September 2023 |
| Qatar | Live: Qatar Central (Doha, 3 zones) | Live: Doha me-central1, 3 zones | No region: None | No region: None |
| Bahrain | No region: None | No region: None | Live: Middle East (Bahrain) me-south-1, 3 zones | No region: None |
| Oman | No region: None | No region: None | No region: None | No region: None |
| Kuwait | No region: None | No region: None | No region: None | No region: None |
Announced regions are not live until the provider lists them as available, so check before you sign a contract that depends on one. Huawei Cloud runs a public region in Riyadh, and its Abu Dhabi (UAE) region is upcoming. More detail: in-country cloud hosting and data residency.
What decides where your cloud data can live?
Your compliance team decides the requirements; we configure the platform to match. Four questions usually settle the region.
Must the data stay in the country?
if so, we use a provider with a live region there, as the provider lists it, or a local data centre.
What do your customers ask for?
tenders and contracts often name a country or a data centre; we design to that.
How sensitive is the data?
restricted data can sit in-country while the rest uses a larger GCC region.
Latency and cost
for everything else, the nearest well-served GCC region at the best price.
See the security and data controls review.
What does Gulf Infotech do in a cloud project?
- Step 01
Assess
we list your servers, applications, data and licences, note your requirements, and estimate monthly running cost on two or more providers. A short first assessment is free; the full assessment, with spend and billing optimisation, is a paid consulting service.
- Step 02
Design
landing zone, network, identity, backup and security baseline in the chosen region.
- Step 03
Migrate
servers, databases and files move in planned waves, typically outside working hours, with a rollback plan per wave. Migration is quoted as a fixed-price project. See cloud migration services and lift-and-shift migration.
- Step 04
Run
monitoring, patching, backup checks and changes, under a managed service agreement.
- Step 05
Optimise (FinOps)
monthly review of spend, rightsizing, reservations and savings plans. See cloud cost optimisation.
Cloud use cases
Disaster recovery site in the cloud
a standby copy of your servers you pay for mainly when you use it.
Virtual desktops (VDI)
Windows desktops for remote and shift staff.
Data analytics and BI
one place for sales, finance and operations data.
AI workloads
Microsoft Foundry, Google's Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform and Amazon Bedrock, compared.
ERP hosting
host Tally, Odoo and other ERP off ageing servers.
Tally on cloud
Tally on a secure cloud server, with remote access for every office and nightly backups.
Data residency
in-country hosting by GCC country.
Websites and apps
cloud servers sized to real traffic.
Cost optimisation
cut waste on an existing cloud bill.
Cloud file server and cloud storage
retire the office file server.
Cloud services in your country
Cloud services in Oman
Muscat head office, OMR invoices, nearest GCC regions.
Cloud services in the UAE
Dubai office, AED invoices, UAE North and me-central-1.
Cloud services in Qatar
Doha office, QAR invoices, Qatar Central and me-central1.
Google Cloud in Saudi Arabia
Served from our Dubai office, Huawei Cloud Riyadh and Google Cloud Dammam.
Cloud services in Kuwait
Served from our Dubai office, with the nearest regions in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE.
Cloud services in Bahrain
Served from our Dubai office, with AWS me-south-1 in the country.
Frequently asked questions
Which cloud provider is best for my business?
The best cloud provider depends on your workload and where your data must live. Azure usually fits companies running Windows Server and SQL Server, Google Cloud fits data analytics and Gemini-based AI, AWS fits web platforms and software products, and Huawei Cloud fits in-country hosting in Saudi Arabia or the UAE on a budget. We compare at least two providers on cost and compliance before recommending one.
Which cloud providers have data centres in Saudi Arabia or the UAE?
In Saudi Arabia, Huawei Cloud runs a Riyadh region and Google Cloud runs a Dammam region. Microsoft has announced Saudi Arabia East for November 2026 and AWS a Saudi region for December 2026. In the UAE, Azure runs UAE North in Dubai, AWS runs me-central-1 and Huawei Cloud runs a public region in Abu Dhabi. Google Cloud has no UAE region, so UAE data that must stay in the country needs one of the other three.
Can you manage multiple clouds?
Yes. Running more than one cloud is common, for example Azure for Windows servers and Google Cloud for BigQuery analytics. We manage them under one agreement with shared monitoring, identity, backup and a single monthly cost report, so you have one team accountable instead of one per provider. We also connect cloud workloads to your on-premise network.
How much does cloud migration cost?
Cloud migration cost depends on the number of servers and databases, their size, how much needs redesign and how much downtime you can accept, so we quote a fixed project price after an assessment. Migration is always charged as a project. Separately, you pay the provider's monthly usage for compute, storage and data transfer. The assessment shows both numbers side by side for each provider before you commit.
Is the cloud assessment free?
A short, high-level cloud assessment is free: we look at what you run and where your data must live, and suggest a provider and region. The full cloud assessment is a paid consulting service. It inventories every server, application and licence, prices the workload on two or more providers, and finds savings in your current cloud spend and billing.
Is there a cloud region in Oman?
No. As of October 2026, none of Azure, Huawei Cloud, Google Cloud or AWS runs a public cloud region in Oman. Omani companies usually use regions in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or Bahrain. Banks, government bodies and health providers often have stricter requirements, so their compliance team should confirm the region first.
Do we pay the cloud provider or Gulf Infotech?
You can buy your cloud usage through Gulf Infotech, on a pay-as-you-go basis or under a contract. We agree the model case by case, depending on you, the provider and the marketplace, before the project starts. Our design, migration and managed services are invoiced by Gulf Infotech, so one partner is accountable for the cloud and the work on it.
Get a cloud recommendation for your workloads
Tell us what you run today and where your data must stay, and a cloud architect will recommend a provider, a region and a migration plan.